Hervey Bay Gossip

On a winter’s day when the weather forecast for Hervey Bay is “mostly cloudy” the beach was definitely the place to be.

There were plenty of people walking on the beach on what was really a warm and pleasant morning to be out and about.

The heavy rain we had here in Hervey Bay last week brought the inevitable flooding to areas of Wondunna. If you saw the television footage of the flooding and saw the interviews with residents who had floodwater running through their yards and houses you know that it was hard not to feel their pain.

One Hervey Bay resident has been brave enough to openly ask an obvious question about the flooding that I’m sure many local residents have ask themselves. You can read her thoughts over on Bring Back Strewth!

The rain in Hervey Bay seems to have abated … at least for few days … and it’s left Lenthalls Dam full to overflowing. That’s something that’s very positive for Hervey Bay.

Potholes make driving difficult 
On the down side though the rain has left the roads around Hervey Bay in a real mess with potholes forming all over town. While some might think of the potholes as just a nuisance there have been a number of reports of cars being damaged after hitting some of the deeper ones around town.

As late as last night there were still quite a few nasty holes in some of the busier streets around town despite the Mayor telling the ABC yesterday that the majority of dangerous holes had been repaired.

The bats in Hervey Bay – have they gone?
Is it just my imagination or have the bats really departed the scene down where Tooan Tooan Creek crosses The Esplanade?

They certainly don’t seem to be hanging in the trees in the numbers that we’[re used to seeing down there so perhaps we can hope that they’ve gone for good.

Here in Hervey Bay we’ve woken up to another wet and windy day and while the flood water has gone down some places along the Esplanade are taking no chances.

These have been in place since Friday

Update:
At 11.20am this morning the Bureau of Meteorology issued a new Severe Weather Warning that only slightly varies the one shown below. 

The new synoptic situation is: A low pressure system is located over the Coral Sea about 230 km east northeast of Mackay and is expected to move slowly west during the next 24 hours. A high pressure ridge extends across the central  Tasman Sea.

All other details remain the same. 

At 4.45am this morning the Weather Bureau issued the following Severe Weather Warning for Hervey Bay and surrounding districts.

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST SEVERE WEATHER WARNING for Damaging Winds and Dangerous Surf for the southern Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, and Southeast Coast districts.

Synoptic situation: A low pressure system is located over the Coral Sea about 270 km east of  Mackay and is expected to remain near stationary.

Damaging wind gusts to about 90 km/hr will continue about exposed coastal areas between Gladstone and the northern Sunshine Coast. 

Seas will continue to be rough with dangerous surf conditions between Gladstone and Point Danger. Some coastal erosion is likely about exposed beaches.

The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:

- secure loose outdoor items

- avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters

- if near the coastline, stay well away from the waters edge.

Right now here in Hervey Bay the sky is full of cloud, there’s rain about and the forecast is for some wild weather for the next 24 hours.

Last Monday as the sun went down the sky was a whole lot different.

The Bureau of Meteorolgy issed the following Severe Weather Warning at 11am this morning.

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST SEVERE WEATHER WARNING for Damaging Winds, Heavy Rain and Flash Flooding, and Dangerous Surf for the southern Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, and Southeast Coast districts.

Synoptic situation: A low pressure system is developing over the Coral Sea, northeast of  Gladstone. The low is expected to move south southwest closer to the coast tonight. 

Damaging wind gusts to 100 km/hr have already been reported along the Fraser Island and northern Sunshine Coast. Further damaging winds with gusts to 110 km/hr are expected about coastal and island communities between Yeppoon and Sunshine Coast, including Fraser Island tonight and early Saturday.

These wind gusts will spread southwards to the remainder of the Southeast Coast district during Saturday. Winds will begin to ease north of Gladstone on Saturday. 

Rainfall in excess of 100mm has occurred over coastal areas between Hervey Bay and Maroochydore. This has caused localised flooding in the Hervey Bay area and some stream rises in coastal streams along the Sunshine Coast.

Further heavy rain is expected about the coastal areas and adjacent inland areas between Gladstone and Sunshine Coast today and early Saturday. Some localised flash flooding and stream rises are expected with the heavier falls. The heavy rain is expected to extend to the southern parts of the Southeast Coast district on Saturday and Sunday.

Seas likely to be rough with dangerous surf conditions between Gladstone and Point Danger with coastal erosion.

The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:

- secure loose outdoor items

- avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters

- if near the coastline, stay well away from the waters edge

The Bureau of Meteorology issued the following Severe Weather Warning at 4.55am this morning.

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for Damaging Winds, Heavy Rain and Flash Flooding, and Dangerous Surf for the southern Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, and Southeast Coast districts.

Synoptic situation: A low pressure system is developing NE of the Capricorn coast at present and is expected to move towards the coast by Saturday.

Damaging winds with gusts to 95 km/hr are expected about coastal and island communities in the southern Capricornia and Wide Bay and Burnett districts, including Fraser Island with coastal erosion. These winds will spread southwards into the Southeast Coast district during the weekend.

Heavy rain is expected to develop about the coast and adjacent inland in the southern Capricornia and Wide Bay and Burnett districts. The heavy rain is expected to extend into the Southeast Coast district on Saturday. Some localised flash flooding is expected with the heavier falls.

Seas are likely to become rough with dangerous surf conditions developing between Fraser Island and Point Danger.

The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:

- secure loose outdoor items

- avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters

- if near the coastline, stay well away from the water’s edge

Most people who live in Hervey Bay tend to think that it’s one of the most beautiful places to live in Queensland. To hear us talk you would think that the sun shone 365 days of the year and it hardly ever rains … or gets cold.

So perhaps I should whisper this … at 4pm today it was just 17C and the rain was coming down. The above photo was taken down at Cafe Balaena in Urangan and we’re looking through their plastic curtains at a rather bleak view of the Boat Harbour.

Now I’m off to dig in the wardrobe for some warm clothes.

Although it certainly got very dry here in Hervey Bay we were never drought declared however parts of Tiaro area certainly were but things are looking up.

Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said several shires now in the new Barcaldine, Fraser Coast and North Burnett Regional councils were now no longer drought declared.

Mr Mulherin said today that the drought declarations had been lifted on the recommendation of local drought committees in Longreach and Maryborough.

The revocations took affect from April 30, 2008 in the former Barcaldine and Aramac shires, and on April 13, 2008 in Biggenden Shire and a part of Tiaro Shire.